As I write these words, a parental unit is currently taking in the glamour of Shanghai. That’s right, my mom has arrived for her long-planned China tour. Being the horrible son that I am our contact has remained of the phone variety, despite the fact that China’s megalopolis is a mere two-hour bus ride away.
But she’s doing fine and sounds like she’s having an interesting time exploring the city. Her first impressions seem to be of the common variety: awe at the size, scale and unabashed glass tower glitz of China’s biggest city. She’s enjoying the lap of luxury at the Peace Hotel on the Bund, although unfortunately it sounds like the “weather” isn’t so great (she can’t even see Pudong across the river).
One thing my mom mentioned that kind of hit me was that she felt one time in Shanghai would be enough. It’s big and exciting, but “it could be absolutely anywhere in the world, almost nothing indicating I’m in China”. I’m sure many Chinese people would beam with pride upon hearing such words, but believe it or not some tourists don’t fly halfway across the world to eat at Subway. Nevertheless, it sounds like her personal guide is on the ball: she’s been to visit some interesting smaller neighbourhoods and parks, as well as the requisite silk and cashmere factories.
After Shanghai, my mom is moving on to Suzhou, Wuhan, a cruise up the Chang Jiang to Chongqing and then a flight back east to meet me here in Hangzhou. I’m guessing the “holy sh*t, I’m in China” shock will hit her somewhere in the countryside between Wuhan and Yichang (those wild central provinces tend to do that to people).
We will have a few days to explore Hangzhou together, and then it’s off to Xi’an (which should be great!). From that point on, I’ve come up with a loose itinerary taking us up through Henan, Shanxi (if we have time) and finally to Beijing from which my mom flies back to Canada. And then I begin my hopelessly ill-conceived trek out to Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai.
If anyone has been up through these parts (I’m thinking Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Pingyao, northern Shanxi), feel free to leave some comments about what we should see/skip/avoid like the plague. I’ve never been to any of these places (besides a nightmare transit in Zhengzhou), so I’m pretty excited. Oh yeah, and feel free to leave comments with any suggestions/experiences concerning the Northwest, I really have to get on the ball in the planning department.